Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Still Puzzled

CurtisWalker

CurtisWalker

Well-Known Member
As many have probably read I'm mentoring a kid through his first year bowhunting. On Saturday we got in and set up around 2:00 and not even 15 minutes we had a mature buck come running to the decoy.. The buck stayed at 20 yards for five minutes and I told the kid he could take the shot when it presented itself. Well another buck came out and the mature buck turned to look which allowed for him too draw the buck was very slightly quartering too and his head was turned out the opposite direction which made him look broadside. He took his time and released the arrow. The shot looked a slight bit forward but perfect height but only got 10" of penetration(later found the arrow). So we waited until dark then looked for blood. We found where the buck had crossed the creek but didn't go any further because we didn't want to bump him.
Blood where he crossed a fence:


Had lots of spots this size:



Better pic of the color:



We had awesome blood for 100-150 yards then found a bed with some blood but nothing after that. We grid searched the timber he was in and the timber across the road. No with no luck.

Any thoughts?
 
It looks like muscle blood to me. Maybe hit the shoulder blade and tucked 10" of arrow shaft along the bone. Most kids bows aren't pulling max poundage.That deer will be gimped up but will probably survive if that is the case. Bummer for the kid though.
 
Skully said:
It looks like muscle blood to me. Maybe hit the shoulder blade and tucked 10" of arrow shaft along the bone. Most kids bows aren't pulling max poundage.That deer will be gimped up but will probably survive if that is the case. Bummer for the kid though.
Click to expand...
He's my age I just call him a kid. He is pulling 70lbs. His arrows was sticking straight out as the deer took off running until we lost sight of the deer.
 
Last edited:
Not to change the subject but the entire "lung blood" maxim is one I don't buy into either. The concept of it being redder only holds water if it is examined fresh, like still in a syringe. Once on the ground, even arterial blood which was full of oxygen (and therefore redder) gives up that O2 very quickly and looks the same as any other blood. Some day I'll get a sample of each from a willing donor and squirt them on the ground and take pictures of each & see if anyone can tell the difference. That is assuming I can figure out how to post a real size picture...:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Good luck with your search.
 
Mature bucks are extremely tough animals. I've hit them such as you described and have needed an additional shot to end the situation, even after like 6 hours of moving the deer trying to aggravate the wound so the broad head would hopefully get the other lung. That blood pattern does look like muscle blood to me though. I'd inform the neighbors of the situation and tell them to keep an eye out for him. Best of luck to you both.
 
I had to track my buck 6345' according to google earth and still had to finish him with another arrow 24 hrs later. It was a marginal shot but a heck of a tracking job. Blood got good then got slow multiple times. Keep tracking and good luck.
 
CurtisWalker said:
I know it's not lung blood.. There was no frothiness. Was Crimson red in color
Click to expand...

I shot my buck last weekend, double lung shot with a grim reaper! There almost NO blood! Found 2 drips 30yds from the shot where my arrow fell out n nothing else close to that. I backed out, fully believing that it was a bad shot even though i watched the arrow disappear right in the sweet spot! Came back the next morning n he was 30yds from the arrow, only 2 more small spots of blood (no bubbles or froth at all) leading up to him.. shot was perfect n i still have no idea how he didn't bleed more??? Keep ur head up u could still find him! use your nose, he may be dead!
 
I shot a nice 10 point last year about the same thing. I hit him a little forward and it appeared to have good penetration. He ran off I waited about an hour walked to where I shot had good blood for about 200 yards then he got out of the timber into some grass and nothing. Then my buddy who was helping me look for him spotted a group of deer in the next field and there were 2 bucks fighting. As we stood there and watched from about 300 yards a doe spotted us and they all started taking off and one of the bucks fighting was the one I shot. I looked for 2 days after no sign. A few days later got a trail cam pic of him still with the arrow in him. A week later on the cam no arrow. Last day of 2nd season shotgun standing in the field at a hundred yards laughing no tags left. Very tough animals
 
wapsi-bottom-BP said:
I shot my buck last weekend, double lung shot with a grim reaper! There almost NO blood! Found 2 drips 30yds from the shot where my arrow fell out n nothing else close to that. I backed out, fully believing that it was a bad shot even though i watched the arrow disappear right in the sweet spot! Came back the next morning n he was 30yds from the arrow, only 2 more small spots of blood (no bubbles or froth at all) leading up to him.. shot was perfect n i still have no idea how he didn't bleed more??? Keep ur head up u could still find him! use your nose, he may be dead!
Click to expand...

I've often had them run a ways before they really start to bleed out. Drops here and there the first 40 or more yards then bigger splotches before finally turning into blood all over. Always better to have a sparse trail that keeps getting better than one that starts good but peters out fast.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom